THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Around 200 cases of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) violations are pending in the state, yet as the nodal agency to check such violations, Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) lacks the teeth for stringent action. Now, the recently re-constituted KCZMA is fraught with criticism by the scientific community as they indicate that it would further weaken the implementation process.

Unlike the earlier KCZMA with Science and Technology (S&T) principal secretary as its chairman with scientists as its member secretary, the re-constituted KCZMA is led by State Environment Department principal secretary as its chairman and State Pollution Control Board or Department of Environment and Climate Change director as its member secretary. This re-constituted KCZMA is as per the central guidelines under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) in its order on this June 8. The Ministry had suggested the change of guard in accordance with the practises followed in other states of the country.

Scientists at the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) told TOI that not a single representative from KSCSTE is considered a member in the new KCZMA. Further, the scientists raise concerns over the callous way of constituting the new authority, though it’s constituted under the Environment Protection Act-1986 to track the CRZ violations. Several changes have been made in the provisions of the newly constituted KCZMA.

“Not one representative or scientist from KSCSTE is in the newly constituted KCZMA, an NGO based in Kottayam with no experience in coastal area protection is listed a member, only former directors or deans of scientific institutions are its member-experts which will miss the organisation support,” KSCSTE officials said. Without the scientific support, KCZMA will be a weak entity in terms of scientific reasoning in curtailing CRZ violations for effective implementation, the officials said.

In the newly constituted KCZMA, names of member-experts listed include Kerala State Biodiversity Board member secretary who has already completed his deputation and Cochin University of Science and Technology dean, who has retired from that post a decade back.

Former KCZMA member secretary told TOI that, “though earlier KCZMA lacked the teeth for direct action as it could only track CRZ violations and direct the district authorities for action, the newly constituted KCZMA is definitely more weak as it can only water down action against the violators further”.

“We had mapped 5000 CRZ violations around Vembanad Lake and handed it over to 36 local bodies to register the violations, as all are constructions made after 1991 in violation of CRZ rules. Now, 1.5 years have gone by, but so far no action has been taken. The victim is the coastal ecosystem which will be plundered by the real estate mafia with political nexus,” former KCZMA member secretary said. At least 150 CRZ violations are pending in High Court, in addition to cases in National Green Tribunal and Supreme Court, he said. The major CRZ violations were reported from Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kollam, but no action has been taken by the concerned authorities, he said.

Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) vice-chancellor Prof. A Ramachandran who has served as KCZMA member said, delay in crackdown against CRZ violators emboldens them, leading to repeated violations. Delay in action by the district or local self-government authorities gives the CRZ violators the time to go for appeal in the court. It’s a vicious cycle that dissolves the spirit of the CRZ notification.

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